5-Days Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire

Safari – Lappet Faced Safaris

Our safari with Lappet Faced Safaris was an incredible experience from start to finish, for our honeymoon. Noel was an exceptional guide: very competent, calm and sincerely attentive to our rhythm and our desires. He always made sure that we were comfortable, never in a hurry, leaving us all the time we needed to observe animals and take pictures. His in-depth knowledge of wildlife and the environment made every outing both exciting and meaningful. A truly memorable safari — thank you so much, Noel and Francisco

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Excellent Agency, but a Disappointing Guide Made the Difference

The pre-trip experience with the agency itself was fantastic—they were responsive, professional, and offered great value. The Good: Agency Service: The communication during the booking and planning process was excellent. All our questions were answered promptly, making us feel confident before departure. Driving & Punctuality: Our guide, Richard, was a superb driver. We always felt safe on the bumpy roads, and he was consistently punctual, ensuring our itinerary ran smoothly. The Not-So-Good: The Guide Experience Unfortunately, the success of a safari heavily relies on the guide, and this is where our trip fell significantly short of expectations. 1. Lack of Proactivity at the Mara River: A key highlight for us was the hope of seeing the Great Migration crossing the Mara River. On the morning of Oct 3rd, our guide seemed unwilling to actively search different crossing points. As a result, we missed a major crossing that happened elsewhere, and we left Tanzania without witnessing this incredible spectacle. When we mentioned that friends had seen a crossing, his response was to dismissively claim "they were lying," which showed a real lack of accountability. 2. Passive "Follow-the-Crowd" Guiding: Our guide was more of a "follower" than a "finder." Instead of actively tracking animals, his primary strategy was to drive to where other jeeps were already gathered. This passive approach meant we saw almost no leopard activity and missed out on dynamic scenes like hunts. He also grew impatient when we took time for photography, which dampened our experience. 3. Unprofessional Communication: As a group of five women, we found our guide's jokes and conversation topics to be frequently inappropriate and lacking professional boundaries. It made one member of our group so uncomfortable that she resorted to sitting in the back row of the vehicle to avoid interaction. A professional guide should maintain respectful boundaries with clients. 4. Health & Safety Concerns: Our guide came down with a severe cold during the trip but continued to drive us. This not only concerned us for his well-being but also made us anxious about our own safety. It raised questions about the agency's contingency plans for such situations. What made this especially frustrating is that we tipped our guide above the recommended daily rate, hoping for proactive and exceptional service. The service we received did not justify this. In conclusion, excellent Lappet Agency, but a disappointing guide Richard made the difference.

via Tripadvisor

excellent experience

The magical African Great Migration trip was very well arranged by Lappet Faced. The accommodations were very comfortable, and some places even exceeded our expectations. The experienced guide took us to appreciate the various animals on the African grasslands and discovered various surprises, including lions, cheetahs, hunting dogs, elephants, giraffes, and even the spectacular wildebeest crossing the Mara River. They also took us to appreciate the local African culture. The whole trip left a deep impression on us. Thank you Lappet Faced for your service.

via Tripadvisor

Epic Adventures

On my recent trip, Michael and his crew (shoutout to Joshua, Stive, and Frank!) totally made the experience awesome. Their know-how and passion, along with the smooth coordination and personal touch, made every moment unforgettable. Seriously, I highly recommend this travel crew for an epic trip!

Response from the operator: Thank you for your fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that Michael and the team, including Joshua, Stive, and Frank, made your trip awesome. We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to them. Your satisfaction is our greatest reward, and we look forward to the opportunity to create more memorable experiences for you in the future!

via Tripadvisor

Incredible wildlife observations, all well organized!

Had an incredibly great safari with Francesco and our driver Mike, who mastered even adverse driving routes excellently! Traveled alone as travel partner cancelled. Was really treated very caring.. also got a lot of information about the animals and the habitats. In Ndutu we were among the large herds during the calving season and could observe many animals up close! Even the lions passed between the cars in almost all national parks. So close you could have touched them! Also saw a lion on the tree, incredible numbers of giraffes right next to our car and elephant herds everywhere!. Even a leopard mother with 2 cubs we could observe relatively close! A cheetah we found not 3 meters from the car.. Very relaxed. Overall, the whole safari was excellently organized. The mix of luxury lodges and simpler tent lodges at the Bush was an experience in itself! Also made the hot air balloon ride in the Serengeti. Was really a very special experience to hover so just above the big herds. Recommend booking directly with Francesco. He has a very good price! Overall, I can highly recommend Francesco. He and Mike are very great tourgides and respond very well to all wishes for special wildlife observations. No time pressure and the animals were never disturbed! The food in the lodges is sufficient and quite good. The Jeep was very comfortable! The whole safari could not have gone better! Thanks guys, it was super great with you!

Response from the operator: Michaela Vielen Dank für Ihre tolle Bewertung und Ihr Lob für unseren Service

via Tripadvisor (translated)